WASHINGTON -- The Republican chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee has unveiled draft legislation for a revamping of the Interior Department's offshore energy agencies that closely tracks the reorganization already being executed by the Obama administration.

U.S. Rep. Doc Hastings

"While the department has made progress, I believe Congress should pass legislation building on their reforms and write into law the structure of these agencies," Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash., said in a YouTube video the committee released Monday along with the proposed legislation.

Considering the enormous partisan rancor and tension over the permitting of offshore drilling since the Deepwater Horizon disaster, it is remarkable the degree to which the Hastings' bill accepts the same basic lesson of the disaster: that the different responsibilities of federal regulators have to be separated from one another to avoid conflicts of interest and mission.

"Much like the administration has done, my proposal would create three separate agencies, each with very clearly defined missions," Hastings said.

Hastings' bill would codify the breakup of the old Minerals Management Service into three separate agencies: one responsible for planning, leasing and environmental work associated with offshore energy production; a second responsible for permitting, safety and inspections; and a third responsible for royalty and revenue collection.

The plan would place the first two agencies, a Bureau of Ocean Energy and an Ocean Energy Safety Service, under an assistant secretary for ocean energy and safety, who would report to a new undersecretary of energy, land and minerals, who also would oversee an assistant secretary of land and minerals management.

The undersecretary and assistant secretaries would all be appointed by the president and subject to Senate confirmation.

Hasting said he believes establishing this new undersecretary would "enhance the role of American energy production within the Interior Department."

The Office of Natural Resources Revenue would operate under the existing assistant secretary for policy, management and budget, who reports to Interior's deputy secretary.

The administration split the revenue office from Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement last fall, and by Oct. 1 is scheduled to split BOEMRE into a Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and a Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. Under Hastings' plan, BOEM would become BOE, and BESSE would become OESS.

Hastings' draft legislation would require that inspectors have three years of practical experience in oil and gas exploration, development or production, and an engineering degree. They also would be subject to a criminal background check and random drug testing.

Those engaged in permitting and inspections would not have the right to strike.

The legislation would also create a National Offshore Energy Health and Safety Academy for the initial and continued training of inspectors.

The bill would formalize the administration's creation of an Outer Continental Shelf Safety Advisory Board, with a proviso that "in appointing members to the board, the secretary shall ensure a balanced representation of industry and research interests."